Cyclone Debbie damages homes, cuts power to 63,000 in Australia

March 29 (UPI) -- Cyclone Debbie injured three people, caused flooding, damaged homes and left tens of thousands without power in northeastern Australia as severe weather is forecast for an additional day, officials said.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology downgraded Debbie to a post-tropical cyclone on Wednesday. More than 63,000 homes have lost power in the state of Queensland in the towns of Mackay, Sarina, Airlie Beach and Proserpine.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said there was significant structural damage in the Whitsunday Islands, off Australia's northeast coast, and that officials are working to get water to one of them, called Daydream Island, where 300 people are stranded and running shot of supplies.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he was aware of one death, which police officials attributed to a car crash caused by severe weather linked to Debbie. One man was seriously injured after a wall collapsed in Proserpine, police said.

Officials said relief efforts are limited due to heavy rain, debris, large waves, damaging wind gusts and high tides. The BOM said flooding is likely to occur in Queensland's coastal areas and that strong winds with gusts up to 62 mph along with heavy rains will continue as Debbie's remnants move southeastward on Wednesday through Thursday morning.

Palaszczuk said assessing the full damage of Debbie may take several days as some communities are still cut off from communication and access, though she said damage is not as widespread as initially feared. Flooding has left dozens of residents stranded while the government has attempted to provide shelter.

The BOM issued a severe weather warning from north of Proserpine along the coast and about 400 miles inland in northeast Queensland south thorough Stanthorpe.

"Heavy rain and damaging wind gusts are currently affecting the Capricornia, Central Coast and Whitsundays and Central Highlands and Coalfields districts, slowly extending southwards," the BOM said in a statement.

Palaszczuk pledged $1 million to help charities deliver cyclone relief.

"My government is committed to supporting cyclone-ravaged communities rebuild in the wake of cyclone Debbie," Palaszczuk said in a statement. "Delivering an injection of funds straight to these charities means they can immediately begin rolling out support services to parts of north Queensland devastated by Cyclone Debbie."

The Australian Red Cross Society, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul Society of Queensland and UnitingCare Community will each receive $250,000 in funding, Palaszczuk said.

"These four charities have a track record of delivering critical support to communities on the ground in the aftermath of a major tropical cyclone," Palaszczuk added. "The scale of the disaster is significant and there is a lot of work ahead of us to repair damage and help people put their lives back together."

The BOM said some areas in Queensland were drenched with 39 inches of rain in about 48 hours.